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UNITED @'IAIFS PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK G. JOHNSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,320, dated February 5, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. JOHNSON, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ot New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of' Constructing Perinutating-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a transverse section; Fig. 3, a section cutting the section in F ig. 2 at right angles; Fig. 4, a perspective view of what I term an open cylinder or the trame work of the interior of the lock; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the frame work containing the tuinblers and springs; Fig. 6, a view of the circular guard piece; Fig. 7, a perspective view of the key; Fig. 8, a t'ace view of the key.

Like letters refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to produce a lock that cannot be easily picked, that shall be applicable to all the purposes for which locks are used while, at the saine time, it shall be. convenient to operate and as cheaply made as ordinary good locks.

The construction of my invention is thus described. I first construct an open cylinder or frame work, consisting of two circular head pieces, A and B, Fig. 4, of suitable thickness, and several studs a a a, Fig. 4; upon each ot' these studs is placed a cylindrical tumbler and a spiral spring. These tuinblers and springs are seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5; e c e, representing the tuinblers, and

-0 0 o the springs. In each of these tuinblers is turned or cut a slot or groove o c c, at various distances from the end of the tuin blers. These grooves are cut as deep as the rtuinblers will allow without cutting them in two, and in such a manner as to leave right angled shoulders to the grooves. Each ot these tumblers is to work so freely on its stud as to admit of its being` depressed by the key and returned to its place by the spiral springwit being the object of the springs to keep the tuinblers constantly pressed up lfirmly against the upper head piece A. On one of these studs, (a) Figs. 2 and'5, is placed the arin of the bolt J eX- tending to the center of the open cylinder and to the bolt K, and attached rigidly to the bolt K, in such a manner that the bolt K and its arni J and the cylinder Fig. 4 with its tuinblei's and springs are all firmly held together and constitute essentially the working part of the lock. The circular guard piece G is fastened into the shell or case of the lock by means of screws or solder parallel with and about midway between the front and back plates of t-lie lock (D and E) as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the back plate E of the lock is fastened lrinly a. strong central post C on which is placed the working part, Fig. 5, of the lock by means of a suitable hole being drilled through the lower head piece B and through the inner end of the arm J and part way through the upper head piece A.

Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the lock with the working part placed in the shell or case, and in a locked position. By inspecting Fig. 2 it will be seen that the several tuinblers (e e e) exactly correspond to the circular depressions of the guard piece G (included between the projections m m m) in such a manner that each of .the several guards fm. m 7n projects between two of the tuinbleis c e e; thus rendering it impossible for the bolt K to be pushed back from k to L--or the lock unlockedMuntil eachl tumbler is depressed (Fig. 3) to just that distance which will bring its groove in range or opposite to the circular guard piece G.

The key (Figs. 7 and 8) is made by setting steel pins a a n into a circular piece of metal M in al circular line near the edgeone for each tumbler in the lock, each pin to be of such alengtli as to depress its corresponding tuinbler far enough to bring its groove in range with the circular guard piece G. In the upper head piece A is made as many holes z' t' z' Figs. l and 4, as there are tuinblers, corresponding in position to the pins in the key and tuinblers in the lock. The front plate D of the lock has a circular piece cut out. corresponding to the size of the disk M of the key; and thus exposing to view the central portion of the upper head piece A and the holes i z' z' for inserting the key.

The operation of the lock is quite simple and apparent and thus explained. The key is to be seized by the handle L and the pins a n n entered into the holes z' z' z' Fig. l (the key always being put in the right side up) and then crowd up until the disk M ot the key comes irmly against the upper head piece A, which will depress each tumbler so as to bring its groove opposite or in range of the circular guard piece G; when, by turning the key the whole working part of the lock together with the arm J and bolt K will move back so that the bolt K will move from 7c to c, and each tumbler will take exactly the place of the one that, before it was unlocked, stood next to it on the right. Ihe reverse of this movement, of course, locks it.

I do not confine the application of this device to any particular class or style of locks but purpose to apply it to all kinds to which it is adapted.

In case it becomes desirable to change a lock so that its original key shall no longer unlock it it is only necessary to change the position of any two of the tumblers e e e by taking off the upper head piece Asaid head piece being made movable for that purposeand fitting a new key. The number of changes that can be made of course will depend upon the different combinations of the lengths of the pins in the key and position of the grooves in the tumblers. The several studs a a a being placed in a circle, and each tumbler e e e being cylindrical and the two head pieces A and B being centered on the post C, and the guards m m m being in a circle and all alike, of course any rotary motion given to the working part of the lock must affect every part of the same simultaneously and alike.

, I am aware that sliding slotted tumblers of different kinds have been used and arranged in various ways in locks, and also used in connection with guards and other devices for rendering locks unpickable or burglar proof. I therefore do not claim, broadly and separately, series of sliding tumblers provided with notches or recesses at varying points. But

That I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isl. The open cylinder, Fig. 4, comprised of the two circular head pieces A and B, and the studs a a, a set in a circle, and all Working on the central post C, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. The series of cylindrical tumblers e e e arranged in a circular position on their studs a a a in combination with the spiral springs 0 0 0 so as to allow the said cylindrical tumblers to be depressed by the key and returned by the springs, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination together of the cylinder, Fig. t and the series of cylindrical tumblers e e e and spiral springs o 0 0 acting in relation, and combined with, the series of guards m m m, or their equivalents, in the manner and for the purposes described.

4. rI`he general arrangement together of the cylinder Fig. t, tumblers e e e arranged in a circular position, and spiral springs o 0 o combined together and with the bolt K and its arm J in such a manner that, by placing the whole on the central post C the entire combination of these parts can be worked or rotated freely and simultaneously on the said central post C, to lock and unlock the lock, by the mere action or use of the key, substantially in the manner as de- FRANK Gr. JOHNSON. Vitnesses:

CHAS. W. FEED, PETER C. BELL. 

